italian wine

Italy’s new reality

Covid has added an extra layer of complexity to the lives of Italian wine producers, with the pandemic having a direct effect on exports, and the profitability of smaller businesses. But there’s some encouraging news too, some (but not all) of it linked to the launch of pink Prosecco.

Report by David Williams

Langhe vineyards in Piedmont

On the morning of February 26 last year, the team at Lea & Sandeman were preparing for the latest edition of the London merchant’s muchanticipated Italian tasting on the top floor of the Foyles bookshop on Charing Cross Road.

The annual event, which is aimed at L&S’s restaurant and independent trade customers, also attracts a fair number of press, with everyone eager to try the latest releases from one of the UK’s best Italian portfolios, and to meet 25 of the winemakers behind them.

But it was clear from the moment attendees stepped out of the lift that the 2020 event was different. Many of the northern winemakers, from Lombardy and Piedmont, had not turned up, having been advised by their local government not to travel. And those who had made it, from Tuscany and further south, were repeatedly looking, rather worriedly, at their phones.

Much of the talk, inevitably, was of “the virus”. And for many in the room, including the writer of this piece, this was the first time the potential gravity of Covid 19 really hit home. Even so, according to data from the World Health Organisation, on February 26, 2020, both cases (322 in Italy; 13 in the UK) and deaths (11 and 0) were still in worrying rather than terrifying numbers. I don’t think any of us suspected

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the event would also be the last public tasting many of us would attend for more than a year.

It can sometimes feel a little trite focusing on the problems of business in the context of what was to come over the next few weeks, first in Italy, and then in the rest of Europe. But it didn’t take long before even the worst-case scenarios voiced by winemakers at Foyles that day began to look naively complacent.

According to figures published by the Italian wine industry analyst Osservatorio Qualivita, based on data from the Italian Statistics Institute (ISTAT), the beginning of 2020 had actually been very positive for Italian wine, with exports up 5.2% in the first quarter, on the back of a strong 2019. But the pandemic’s first wave was devastating. Exports fell by 24.3% in May alone, with an overall loss of 12.6% in the second quarter versus the same period in 2019. Sales recovered a little in the second half of the year, particularly in a strong lead-up to Christmas, but that couldn’t make up for the losses of spring: overall exports were down by 2.2% for the full year, to €6.29bn (although, as the more optimistic members of the Italian wine industry pointed out, that’s still a rise of 0.8% on 2018).

Some markets struggled more than others, with Italy’s top four export destinations – the USA, Germany, the UK and France – all showing a drop. The UK’s showing was particularly bad, with export sales value plunging by 6.4% for the year, from €763m to €714m. There was also significant variation in the performances of Italy’s different regions. Again, according to Osservatorio Qualivita/ISTAT, four registered positive

Axel Heinz of Ornellaia

growth: Lazio (+8.6%), Trentino-Alto Adige (+4.3%), Emilia-Romagna (+3.4%) and Piedmont (+2.6%). Meanwhile, there were heavy losses for Lombardy (-11.7%), Puglia (-7.6%), Sicily (-11.9%), and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (-8.9%), while the Veneto (-3.3%), Tuscany (-3.2%) and Abruzzo (-1.9%) were also in decline.

Domestically, Italian wine sales followed similar Covid 19 trends to other parts of the world. With restaurants and bars closed for much of the year, supermarkets picked up much of the slack and there was a huge swing to online, with market researchers Nomisma pointing to a remarkable 8 million new accounts at online retailers in the year to February 2021, and a doubling in the use of the search term “vino online” over the same period.

And, as with much of the rest of winemaking in Europe, this situation suited some producers more than others. According to figures from the country’s largest single producer, the Emilia-Romagna-based Caviro Group, co-operatives were able to switch their attentions away from HORECA and focus more on multiple retailers and online sales channels in a way that proved elusive to smaller producers, who rely much more on restaurants and bars, often in their local area. As a result, co-operatives largely bucked any downward trends and actually increased their sales: collectively, Italian co-operatives, which represent roughly half of all Italian production, increased their turnover by 1% and their exports by 3% in 2020.

The story for many smaller producers, by contrast, is rather less positive. The president of the trade body UIV (Unione Italiana Vini) Ernesto Abbona, told the website winenews.it that bad debts among smaller producers are thought to total as much as €500bn, and that “lost work” in the domestic HORECA sector has cost Italian wine producers as much as €1.5bn.

Of course, the effects of Covid weren’t confined to sales channels. There were significant challenges, too, in production in a world in which travel had practically come to a halt – and in which maintaining social distance was a prerequisite for any workplace. Official reports from the Italian labour ministry corroborate the anecdotal reports of growers struggling with a shortage of casual, seasonal workers from their usual eastern European sources. And there have been widespread calls from

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A Tuscan surprise

No line-up of Italian whites is truly complete without Vernaccia di San Gimignano, an indigenous varietal with incredible longevity. For Panizzi Wines, it’s a speciality

Vernaccia di San Gimignano is a grape that ought to be better known. While Italian wine consumers fixate on white varieties like Fiano, Vermentino and even Arneis, it’s only the aficionados who have discovered Vernaccia’s charms. That’s a shame, says Camelia Lazar of Panizzi Wines, because Vernaccia is “a surprising wine from a surprising region which has a very clear identity”. Dante wrote about it and Michelangelo was a fan. Today, total production of Vernaccia di San Gimignano is just 5 million bottles, with some of the most special examples produced by Panizzi, a certified organic estate located just outside of the city walls of UNESCO Heritage town San Gimignano.

“Vernaccia wine has a history of over 800 years and it produced the first DOC wine of Italy,” says Lazar.

“It is not an aromatic grape but mostly mineral which is so evocative of the sea, despite coming from inland Tuscany. It has extraordinary potential for ageing and will last decades.”

It’s the grape’s acidity and sapidity that contribute to its incredible longevity, but Panizzi makes its Vernaccia wines in a style that also rewards early drinking.

“It is a terroir-driven wine which, when it’s young, can come forward with white flower blossom, citrus fruit and yellow pulp fruits and a beautiful salty texture that cleans the palate and adds depth,” explains Lazar.

“Given time, the crushed shell, salty and chalky notes from the soil minerals come through with the acidity and vegetal notes recalling spicy plants such as helichrysum liquorice, heading towards the medicinal herbs, saffron and sweet spices.

“As more time passes it evolves towards a flinty style with a gunpowder character, which is a typical trait of aged Vernaccia. It’s very surprising.”

Panizzi has recently started working with Astrum Wine Cellars, which is bringing in Vernaccia di San Gimignano (a blend from four vineyards, aged on lees in stainless steel for four months); Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vigna Santa Margherita (Panizzi’s cru wine, made with fruit from the first Panizzi vineyard of nearly 50 years, which sees half of its fermentation in barrique); and Vernaccia di San Gimignano Riserva (a single-vineyard wine matured in oak for 12 months before spending seven months in stainless steel and at least 24 months in bottle). Panizzi Riserva is normally launched in the fifth year following the harvest, just like its famous red sibling, Brunello di Montalcino.

“We are preparing to launch a project where every new year we release a 10-year-old Vernaccia San Gimignano Panizzi wine,” adds Lazar. “It’s to give people a chance to taste an older Vernaccia and discover that a new kind wine is emerging because the time was allowed for it to develop.” Panizzi’s Vernaccia wines already have something of a following in the UK market, which is why the winery intends to focus on these first before unveiling other elements of its portfolio, which include wines made from Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The company is also excited about its early results with Pinot Nero. “We’ve been producing this grape for 10 vintages now,” says Lazar. “We are writing the book on this, so it could go either way! But we are extremely confident of good results.”

Feature sponsored by Panizzi Wines, imported in the UK by Astrum Wine Cellars. For more information visit astrumwinecellars.com or panizzi.it.

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013 CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG. NO. 1308/2013

Sulphite-free in Chianti Classico

The family estate of Terre di Melazzano is proving that the winemaking ideas of an older generation can sometimes be a long way ahead of their time

You might assume that nothing much changes in a region as revered as Chianti Classico. With that kind of global following, why would it? But at a picturesque estate, high on the slopes of Monte San Michele, some new ground is being broken.

Terre di Melazzano is not exactly unique in its adoption of organic viticulture – that’s a trend that’s been going for many years in the region. “But we are unique in that we are the only one making sulphite-free wine in Chianti Classico, and we have been doing that since 2012,” explains Chiara Falciani, whose grandfather, Piero Giulio Falciani, founded the estate in 1959. “Our sulphite-free wine is called Riscoperto, meaning ‘rediscovered’.”

Sulphites may have only become a mainstream topic of conversation in recent times, but making wine without them is actually nothing new. “The Riscoperto was a result of thinking about my grandfather because in the past he started to produce sulphite-free wine using a very different method of vinification,” Chiara explains.

“In 2010 we started to produce a microvinification so the wine maintains the structure and is preserved without added sulphites. We have seen that, in order to have a really successful sulphite-free wine, it is most important to have really healthy grapes. “This is not so difficult if the winemaker is in control of all the stages of the growth cycle, especially during the summer.” Terre di Melazzano prides itself on “aromatic, fruity and elegant”

Chiara with winemaker husband Andrea

wines throughout the range. But there’s something extra going on with Riscoperto.

“Three years ago we harvested the same Sangiovese grapes from the same parcel of land and did two separate vinifications in steel tanks,” says Chiara. “After the fermentation we added sulphites to one and not to the other. After two days we tasted both and they were very different. The sulphite-free wine was fresher and there was a fruitier taste.”

Are the family’s neighbours interested in copying their ideas? “I know there are many wineries trying to produce sulphite-free wine, but it’s not easy to start,” says Chiara.

“You have to understand how it works and the different problems that can happen in the vineyards.

“It is not an easy thing for a winemaker who wants to produce 60,000 bottles a year. In 2012 we started on 1,000 bottles and now we are at about 20,000 bottles a year and many markets ask us to produce it because they like it so much. We’re very proud of it.”

Terre di Melazzano wines are sold to independent merchants in the UK by Italian specialist Marcato Direct (marcatodirect.co.uk). The line up includes Riscoperto (RRP £16.99), Chianti Classico (RRP £16.99), Chianti Classico Riserva (RRP £21.99) and Gran Selezione (RRP £34.99).

Feature sponsored by Terre di Melazzano. For more information visit terredimelazzanowine.com or email Marcato Direct: sales@marcatodirect.co.uk

A DREAM REALISED AFTER 40 years

Donna Elvira winery in Campania is making the kind of wines that owner Tony Fink has always loved. Feature sponsored by Donna Elvira. All wines are available from UK stock. Contact luigidicaprio@campaniawines.co.uk or sara@donnaelvira.com

A southern right whale in Walker Bay

Around 40 years ago, a plasterer called Tony Fink had what turned out to be a life-changing moment. “I was always an ardent beer drinker in my early 20s but someone offered me some Aglianico wine,” he recalls. “The extraordinary taste stayed with me. Anyone who hasn’t tasted it doesn’t know what they are missing.”

Fink went on to run a successful construction business – in fact so successful, these days, that he jokes his team no longer really needs him. So his thoughts have returned to Campania, where he made his family home for 15 years, and he created Donna Elvira winery.

Naturally, the estate’s principal grape variety is Aglianico. “Campania does the best Aglianico wine,” Fink insists. “With the Aglianico grape we make our Taurasi wine, which you could say is among the best wines in the world. They call it the Barolo of the south. The Aglianico grape is far less well known for the simple reason that southern Italy always plays catch-up with northern Italy, both economically and industrially. The same goes for the wine.” When Fink took his first sip of Aglianico, winemaking in Campania was essentially a rural pursuit. Facilities were basic and wines were not made with ageing in mind.

“Over the past 30 years winemakers in the region have brought elegance and quality to their wines,” Fink says. “The Campania region is the only one in Italy that has three DOCG wines, which is the highest appellation. This is partly because of the volcanic soil. When I first cleared out my fields for the vineyards, we pulled out huge boulders which were from Vesuvius explosions. I’m going to build some walls with them when I get time.”

The Donna Elvira approach to winemaking takes its cue from the simple, yet delicious, style of cooking in Campania. “These are dishes that don’t need lots of ingredients,” says Fink. “Less is more.

“We don’t use pesticides and we don’t use herbicides. That means cleaning around the vines and picking is all done by hand. We are 100% sustainable. I am happy to be so careful because I don’t want to be detrimental to the soil and this shows in the wine.”

Fink has enlisted the services of a

talented winemaker and like-minded viticulturist who take charge of the dayto-day running of the wine activities. Fink quips that his biggest personal contribution to the endeavour is “probably putting my hand in my pocket”. But it’s clear that his investment in the project is as much emotional as it is financial.

“Campania is a labour of love for me,” he says. “I’ve lived there, and my children were born there. I spend six months of the year there now and it’s like going to see a dear friend.”

Joining the Donna Elvira range later this year are a rosato spumante, made with Aglianico, and a small quantity of Taurasi.

Half of the initial production – 20,000 bottles – is being sold in Italy with the other half shipped to bonded warehouses in the UK. The policy will always be quality, not quantity, Fink says.

“People are just starting to realise the potential of the Aglianico grape and Campania wines generally,” he adds. “The quality is only going to get better.

“I’m grateful for what I’ve got. I’m absolutely delighted. After 40 years I thank my lucky stars that I have been able to experience this – and so do the rest of my family, of course.”

highlights from the range

KaySara RRP £15-£17 This rosato wine is made from Aglianico and is named for Fink’s wife Kay and daughter Sara. “It’s a beautiful, refreshing wine for any occasion,” he says.

Aegidius Greco di Tufo RRP £17-£19 A wine which suits mealtime occasions with its enticing combination of salinity, intensity and richness. “Greco is the local serious wine,” says Fink. “People will spend the extra on it.”

Settemazze Aglianico RRP £17-£19 “This is what I like a wine to taste like,” Fink declares. The Donna Elvira style involved picking grapes when they reach optimum phenolic ripeness and using whole-bunch fermentation to round off the variety’s famous tannins.

Amathus expands its Italian wine portfolio

Importer’s Italian specialism enhanced by the arrival of Schiopetto, Abbazia di Novacella and Sandro de Bruno

Amathus has announced a significant expansion of its agency portfolio of Italian wineries.

In the past few months, a number of producers have joined Amathus’ growing Italian line-up, including the hugely influential Friuli winery Schiopetto, widely regarded as one of the pre-eminent Italian white wine producers, as well as long-standing Alto Adige winery Abbazia di Novacella.

Both producers are regular winners of the coveted Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri award. Another addition is Soave winemaker Sandro de Bruno.

Amathus head of wine Jeremy Lithgow MW says: “We’re building on our wine portfolio’s firm foundations of the last few years, by adding wineries from around the world who we feel rank amongst the best in class for their respective regions. It really doesn’t get any better than Schiopetto, who have been flying the flag for Friuli for decades. “Likewise Abbazia di Novacella, whose immaculate range of local varieties from the Valle d’Isarco gives us fantastic wines and great diversity. We’re also thrilled with the success of Sandro de Bruno’s Soaves and his volcanic take on Pinot Nero. It’s mystery to me that his brilliant wines are not better known, and we’ll be doing our best to change that.”.

These additions continue Amathus’ programme of expanding its wine offering, with 150 agency producers and more than 750 wines now available. A wide range of other new agencies from countries including New Zealand, France and Spain will be announced soon.

Amathus appreciates that most indies will have the classics already ticked off on their lists. “While we’re well-stocked in traditional regions, where we think we can help is in bringing options to diversify and differentiate, with great-quality, alternative wines from novel producers, regions or grape varieties,” says Lithgow.

“With these Italian producers, for example, it’s helping merchants go beyond Barolo, Brunello and Chianti.

“With our producers from other places we’re offering interesting things from less mainstream countries such as Portugal – where we have wines from unusual origins like the Azores Wine Company – Greece or Georgia.

“Indies might not have as much experience in these countries and regions, or may be looking to fill gaps in their range. That’s where Amathus can help.”

Feature sponsored by Amathus Drinks

For more information about the company or any of the featured producers, visit amathusdrinks.com Call 0208 951 9840

Abbazia di Novacella surrounded by vineyards

Schiopetto, Abbazia di Novacella and Sandro de Bruno on shelf

THE WINEMAKER FILES // Paolo Demarie, Paolo Demarie Winery

I graduated in accounting and, after some experience in different companies, my love for the land and wine brought

me back “home”. I attended some courses on vinification and tasting when I started in the family business in 2000. Wine and vinification are in my blood and I can’t live without them.

I’m lucky to have grown up in and live

in this beautiful territory. Our vineyards are in the Roero and Langhe area. This hilly landscape is so beautiful and rich. Roero has gentle hills with sandy soil, perfect for delicate and elegant wines. Langhe has a very different soil type, clay and marl, that highlights the body and astringency of Nebbiolo grapes.

Moving to sustainable practices has been our focus over the past eight to 10

years. In 2013 we built our new winery with modern green technology. There’s a solar panel on the roof for the production of electricity. The building is completely insulated to reduce the fluctuation in temperature during the summer and winter seasons. We have a biomass boiler, and we burn the vine cuttings for our heating. Water is recycled through a constructed wetland: a system of natural purification of waste water.

After three years of conversion to organics, in 2020 we obtained our

organic certification. Our first organic wine is Roero Arneis DOCG 2020 and others wines will follow. I think that all these practices are beneficial for the environment and for our health. We want to leave a fertile soil to future generations.

We want to be recognised as a “classic”

producer. Our Nebbiolo, Barbaresco and Barolo all follow the local traditions. But we also like to experiment and to try different methods in the vineyard and in the vinification. This is a fun part of our work and it allows us to keep growing as winemakers.

Sabbia, our orange wine from 100% Arneis grapes, started out as something

of a bet. I approached this “natural” wine world some years ago with a growing interest but with lots of doubts. So in 2015 we decided to vinify about 1,000kg of Arneis in this way. After the alcoholic fermentation and maceration, my feedback was not so positive, but we decided to go ahead with barrel ageing to evaluate the evolution. After a period in old French barriques, the micro-oxygenation enhanced the aromatic complexity of this wine, helping it live up to the hopes we’d had for it. Today, after four years of orange vinification and a production of about 6,500 bottles a year, we have a better understanding of the process, but it’s still challenging and fun. I think the production of this wine will grow, but step by step.

I think that DOC and DOCG rules are

totally correct. I never feel harnessed or limited by them. I appreciate the fact that some styles of vinification – orange winemaking, for example – are not allowed by the Roero Arneis DOCG regulations.

The Demarie Giovanni family have been working their land for three generations, respecting local nature and harvesting grapes by hand. In addition to their main vineyard in Vezza d’Alba in Roero, the family has another in La Morra (Barolo), and one in the Barbaresco region.

Paolo Demarie wines are imported into the UK by Independent Wine www.independent.wine 03335 771 417

Italy is recognised as a land of sun, history, fashion, wine and food and for sure this made our dolce vita and wines

so popular. We have a wealth of different grapes and wines that can’t be compared to those of other countries. At the same time our country was (and is) poor and lots of Italians have emigrated everywhere, promoting our culture. Today, to help us stay ahead of the competition, we need to follow our traditions and highlight the different grapes we use, especially indigenous varieties that are unique and aren’t planted in other areas.

Demarie Roero Arneis

RRP: £16.60

A great white wine; delicate, with a nice bitter aftertaste. Arneis is an indigenous variety that was rediscovered few years ago. Perfect for an aperitivo or as an accompaniment for light veggie and/or fish dishes.

Demarie Sabbia

RRP: £22.42

This is our orange wine, made from 100% Arneis grapes. It's got a unique character with saffron and green tea notes. Perfect with Asian dishes Thai chicken or Tandoori salmon.

Demarie Barolo

RRP: £33.54

The king. This wine represents the best expression of the Nebbiolo grape in the Langhe area, It's a full-bodied and tannic wine with a unique elegance. The Barolo is for important occasions or to share with good friends.

From page 52

wine businesses and industry bodies to prioritise winery workers for vaccination, allowing them to return to work in cellars properly.

But not all producers have found the conditions impossible. In a Zoom call convened to mark the launch of the latest vintage of his estate’s second wine, Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia in September, Axel Heinz, winemaker at Super Tuscan estate Ornellaia, told me that, while 2020 had been an “unusual vintage”, the Covid restrictions “didn’t stop us from doing what we would normally do”. Heinz’s boutique operation is a highprofile representative of a pocket of the Italian market that has continued on the pronounced upward curve it has enjoyed for much of the past decade.

Indeed, according to the market analyst and fine wine marketplace, Livex, the finest Italian estates have made remarkable inroads into the global fine wine market, growing their value share of the value of the world’s secondary market from 8.8% in 2019 to 15.1% in 2020 and 17% in the first quarter of 2021. According to Liv-ex, Italy’s strong fine wine performance is the result of being “saved from US tariffs in 2020” unlike their peers in France, as well as being “free from the complexity of the Bordeaux market, anchored to the mechanism of en primeur”. Barolo remains the strongest performer, followed by Super Tuscans and, rising fast up the charts, Brunello di Montalcino. But Liv-ex points out that some 40 Italian appellations are now “routinely traded” on the platform, suggesting a very healthy diversification of the country’s fine wine scene. At the other end of the

Francesca and Alessio Planeta

market, another enormous success for Italy at the back end of 2020 was the official launch of the Prosecco rosé category. While 57% of Prosecco producers were already producing a pink wine of some description using other appellations, the official seal of approval for the category, which allows for a blend of 85% Glera with the colourbringing balance coming from Pinot Nero, has already seen sales soar.

As an example, Lidl, the first supermarket in the UK to stock a Prosecco rosé once the category had got its official seal of approval in October, was gleefully sending out press releases talking about the “six million glasses” of Prosecco rosé it had sold over the Christmas period.

In marrying two of the wine world’s biggest 21st-century category success stories – Prosecco and rosé – Veneto producers had on their hands the closest thing to a marketing sure thing it’s possible to imagine in the wine world.

It would be a mistake to be too sniffy about it. While not all – or even most – glasses of Prosecco Pink are going to win over the hearts and palates of UK independents’ more discerning customers, The Wine Merchant has encountered plenty of examples that more than meet the requirement for providing Prosecco’s effortlessly enjoyable, sherbetty refreshment with an extra hint of soft berry fruit.

What’s more, as the late, lamented Diego Planeta, who died, aged 80, last September, argued throughout a career in which he oversaw the modern renaissance of Sicilian wine, a successful wine region will be good at making wines that appeal to as many price points and drinkers as possible.

For Planeta, the work he undertook as head of the Cantine Settesoli co-operative was every bit as important and rewarding as his role making increasingly fine wines at the family estate, in establishing Sicily as a serious and sustainable wine producer. Similarly, that Italy is able to find a way with both mass-market pink fizz and single-estate collectible fine wines is suggestive of a country with a very healthy future in the post-Covid world.

The famous Giro d’Italia returned to Montalcino this year and for cycling fanatic Paolo Bianchini, that’s a perfect reason to launch a limited-edition label Brunello di Montalcino.

Bianchini is himself a former professional cyclist, who acquired Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona when he retired from the sport.

The Limited Edition Brunello Wine Stage label has seen a select few bottles of the 2016 vintage of Ciacci’s famous Brunello di Montalcino dressed in pink to honour racers riding the undulating gravel Strada Bianche’esque roads for the first time in 11 years on May 19. This special label has been authorised to grace a very limited number of 75cl bottles which are exclusively available to purchase in Italy. It is only the second limited edition of its kind to be created by the winery, which embarked on a similar project in 2010 when the Giro d’Italia last passed through Montalcino.

The 2016 Ciacci Brunello di Montalcino itself is an exquisite wine that has received excellent reviews from top wine critics, including scores of 97 points from Kieran O’Keefe for Wine Enthusiast, 95+ points from Monica Larner on RobertParker.com, 95+ from Joanna Simon on JoannaSimon. com and 95 from James Suckling on JamesSuckling.com.

Located in the south east of the Montalcino region close to the beautiful medieval village of Castelnuovo dell’Abate in the Tuscan hills, the estate of Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona can trace its roots back to the 17th century.

In 1985 the countess Elda Ciacci bequeathed the 220ha estate to keeper Giuseppe Bianchini. Today it is run by his children, Paolo and Lucia. In total, 53ha are devoted to Sangiovese Grosso, producing the highly acclaimed Brunello di Montalcino, with the rest dedicated to Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

The wines receive global acclaim and recognition, and Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona is recognised as one of the world’s top producers of Brunello di Montalcino thanks to the commitment to the terroir and traditional winemaking practices.

Not content with just producing wines, the estate also produces a top-quality Grappa di Brunello Riserva Pianrosso and two exceptional olive oils, from the estate’s own olive groves.

The estate borders the Orcia River which helps to moderate the temperature in this hot, dry part of the region. The soil texture has good levels of marl and shale, dating from the Eocene period.

Limited edition marks historic Giro d’Italia visit

Pro cyclist-turned-winemaker Paolo Bianchini gives 2016 vintage of Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona Brunello di Montalcino a special look to celebrate return of race to his home region

Paolo Bianchini with a wine that critics loved even without its pink jersey

The Sangiovese Grosso clone is selected from the oldest vines of the estate and is particularly representative of Sangiovese coming from the Montalcino area, which produces quality even in difficult vintages.

Sponsored by Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona, imported by Mentzendorff. Visit ciaccipiccolomini.it or mentzendorff.co.uk

A decade of Condor Wines

Lee Evans has come a long way since 2011, but his company’s core values remain the same

When Lee Evans started Condor Wines a decade ago, the name was carefully chosen. “The condor flies over the Andes,” he says. “It’s unique to South America and therefore it allowed us not to just be about Argentina but to expand into other areas in South America.” For a business that wanted to specialise in Argentinian and Chilean wines, it seemed like a decent ornithological metaphor.

Evans’s wife Maria is from Argentina, meaning that the couple’s connection with the country is more than just commercial. They had a home there for a year before moving back to the UK and getting the business started.

“I could see how well Malbec was doing,” Evans recalls. “It was already beginning to creep on to wine lists and I believed it was something that we could help independents achieve success with.”

Evans had previously worked for Carlsberg, selling to the free trade, and had some sense of what made independent businesses tick. From the beginning, Condor has prided itself on low overheads, with Evans working from home rather than a swish office, with a tightly-knit team that normally requires no more than a handful of employees.

In the early days, things were even more lo-fi than that, with Evans driving his samples across the UK in his secondhand Fiesta to introduce his fledgling business to indies.

“It was genuine cold calling,” he admits. “That time was magical – out on the road, knocking on doors with my mixed case of bottles and doing lots of tastings.

“Being based in the West Midlands I put my focus outside of London and I think the wine merchants I was visiting weren’t seeing people coming in very often talking about the quality and diversity and everything else you could find from South America.

“If someone rang me up on a Thursday and asked me to do a tasting in Cornwall and the next day I had to be in the north, I’d find a way to do both.”

Evans believes there is synergy between his own independent business and his customers. “I’m an independent business too,” he says “and we both have a lot of the same challenges.

“We’re multi-tasking, we’re time poor, we’re all worried about cash flow. I’m worried about the mountain of stock I’m sat on; they’re worried about the mountain of stock on their shelves. There’s a lot of similarities.

“Wine merchants have to work hard to stay in business so when they find someone who is also trying to make something of themselves, like a kindred spirit, they will get behind you.”

Evans adds: “We don’t sell direct to consumers, and we don’t sell direct to the on-trade. If an indie works with us they can trust that we are not trying to steal their business.”

Condor started out in 2011 with a range of about 30 wines. Tellingly, the original roster of producers – including Bodega Los Haroldos, Finca Quara, Estancia Mendoza, Bodega Del Rio Eloza and Algodon Wine Estates – have stuck with the company, evidently pleased with the results they’re seeing in the independent trade.

New producers have joined the Condor stable, from across Argentina and Chile as well as Uruguay, and Evans has been on scouting missions in Bolivia and Brazil too. But he has not been tempted farther afield.

“We want to be a South American specialist,” he insists. “Of course, if we wanted, we could source a Prosecco for our customers, or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. But we’re in business because we believe passionately in South America as an exciting category that can offer pretty much anything you want. It’s the heart of what we do.”

Lee Evans: happy with South American specialism